Multicore Multipin upgrade

[RoyS]

Hi All,

 

At my daytime workplace, a UK secondary school, our main hall multicore has detachable tails terminated in EDACs which I fitted 4-ish years ago.

 

Why did I use EDACs? Price of bits and tools which are pretty cheap.

 

As we all know, EDACs are not the most robust connectors in the world and the plastic shells holding the (solder, in this case) pins are very fragile and breakable.

4 Years down the line and I now need repair and replace the plastics on one or possible both sides.

The multi is 40 way (32+8) so I need 120 pins in each connector.

 

I'd like to use VEAM's but cannot justify the cost of either the bits and the tools for me to make - or sending it off to VDC or Kelseys for them to do it..

 

The other alternative is Harting, but the largest usual connector only has 108 pins which will mean having to common some of grounds together - something I don't really like.. as we sometimes put DMX and video down spare lines..

I've also just placed most of the Harting bits into a Thomann basket and am looking at around £300 for the bits and tools.. not cheap... StudioScares will probably not be significantly cheaper

 

(As a side issue on the subject of the Studiospares website: why after all these years are there still not decent/any pictures of most of the Harting stuff on the SS site (and the paper catalogue). I translate the 'Sorry No Image Available' message, which is all over their site, as poor web/sloppy site management... SS should look at Thomann's great pictures (mostly generated by them) and learn a lesson.)

 

Sorry... Back on subject...

 

When I was last at Plasa there were many multipin connector manufacturers displaying there goods, so there should be some alternatives to the conns above??

 

Otherwise It looks like I'm going to return to EDAC's unless there is another way?

 

Any thoughts?

[Mixermend]

The VDM connectors available from VDC are available with pins that can be soldered - so you don't need to purchase expensive tooling.

 

These are very nice connectors and are virtually the industry standard - and are compatible with other manufacturers bayonet types.

[Brian]

Why did I use EDACs?

Do you protect your EDACs at all? Putting a female body, without pins, onto a cable mounted male and visa-versa is cheap and works quite well.

[Simon Lewis]

Are you using the green terephthalate blocks? If so, they are indeed brittle and fragile. The grey polycarbonate blocks are much better, and I have not had a problem with these in years of use. If you have the pin extraction tool, it doesn't take long to swap them over. The main issue seems to be the relatively poor cable retention clamp. I have modified these to make them better, but if starting from scratch, I would now prefer the VDM connectors.

[Jonathan Mellor]

If you can't justify the cost of VDM connectors, you could try the Ten47 Tourline range available from canford or proaudiostash. They're compatible with VDM, but at a fraction of the cost.

[TomHoward]

CLD Distribution are a sister company of Pro Audio Stash. Not as consumer friendly (need to register, ex VAT pricing, etc) but seem to be up to 25% cheaper.

[RoyS]

Thanks for all your replys.

I've sent an email to Ten47 regrding their Tourline connectors as I can't find them on the proaudiostash website.

I've also asked VDC for a quote for their VDC connectors.

 

Many thanks again.

[Jonathan Mellor]

Thanks for all your replys.

I've sent an email to Ten47 regrding their Tourline connectors as I can't find them on the proaudiostash website.

I've also asked VDC for a quote for their VDC connectors.

 

I had contact with proaudiostash last week, unfortunately it seems for now they're no longer stocking Tourline connectors, but CLD still are, and so is canford.